District Invites Student Voice to Help Make Improvements

February 17, 2023

Neon coloured post-it notes wrapped around the School Board Office Boardroom as part of a student-centred activity aimed at helping make the District a better learning community.

Students from across the Langley School District were invited last week, to lend their voice to the ongoing process of creating a new strategic plan.

Approximately thirty Grade 9 and 10 students, along with principals, vice-principals and staff from their schools, gathered together in small groups and discussed subjects and questions posed to them by Superintendent Mal Gill. Questions were centered on inclusion and a sense of belonging, as well as academics and support in schools.

Students wrote down their responses and thoughts on sticky notes, and then posted them on the wall for everyone to see, which included several members of the District’s leadership team.

“This is for us to use as a team, as we start to put the draft plan together, and then we’ll take that back to trustees,” Gill explained. “It’s going to be an opportunity for us to highlight what is important for our students. Just looking at the notes on the wall, the initial feedback is that the students are taking it seriously and are thoughtful in their responses.

The feedback was constructive, with recommendations hitting on a variety of topics, including mental health, flexible learning environments, mentorship, and support for different learning styles, among others.

“Some of the work we are doing at the District level, collectively with our principals, vice-principals, and staff, is showing up in the words of the students, which is really important,” Gill said. “At the same time, in places where we are looking to improve, the students are providing us with some pointed advice on where our next steps should be.”

The District creates a new strategic plan every four years, in alignment with the Board of Education’s term. It is also updated in each of those years. The plan is like a blueprint that guides the work of the District in three main pillars: Educational Opportunities, Community Partnerships, and Operational Priorities.

Gill said Grade 9 to 12 students were chosen to participate in the meeting because, with a few years of school left before graduation for most of them, this gives them a chance to provide feedback that will shape their own future.

“These students will be invested in their own education over the next few three to four years. I wanted them to be aware of what we’re doing, what we’re putting in the strategic plan, and how we are accountable for our work,” Gill said.

“And the exciting part is, in two or three years, or maybe yearly, we can bring them back and ask, ‘OK, how are we doing? Those things you said we needed to improve on, do you see those improvements in the work we try to do every single day?”

Gill added that bringing students together at the School Board Office is an opportunity to let students know that their ideas and feedback is valued, while also being “a good way of creating community.”

“They’re helping shape the direction of their own learning, and their own sense of belonging for themselves and their friends. I am proud to see our students grow and contribute to creating a positive legacy for the future,” he added.

The Board expects to adopt a new Strategic Plan later in the Spring. The current Strategic Plan and annual updates can be found on the District website here.